News

A specific gene known as CYP2C44, more active in women with pulmonary hypertension (PH) than in men, may be a key factor in protecting them from more severe forms of the disease, according to results of a study performed with animal models. More women are diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension…

Elsevier  announced that it is expanding its work with the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) to provide CHEST members with detailed and interactive eLearning programs that address their specialities, including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Elsevier is a provider of scientific, technical and medical information products, and the…

Early treatment with Tracleer (bosentan) may delay the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in people with scleroderma, according to a study that compared patients who had never used this medicine with those taking it  for digital ulcers. If confirmed in other studies, the finding has the potential to radically change the prognosis for numerous…

Reata Pharmaceuticals has enrolled the first patient in its Phase 3 CATALYST trial (NCT02657356), exploring the potential benefits of bardoxolone methyl in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) linked to connective tissue disease. The trial is continuing to recruit participants. The company also reported that data from the ongoing Phase 2 LARIAT…

Several factors may help predict the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), like older age and, for women, the drop in estrogen brought on by menopause, researchers report. Given that PAH is one of the main causes of mortality among SSc patients, their study raises…

Early pulmonary hypertension and long term infections in babies that are born prematurely increase their likelihood of developing severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), also known as chronic lung disease of infancy, according to a study published in the scientific journal Global Pediatric Health.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) severity is associated with alterations in the heart’s metabolism, but a recent study showed that Opsumit (macitentan) can reduce these metabolic changes, lessening PAH severity and easing strain on the heart’s right ventricle. The study, “Effects of an endothelin receptor antagonist, Macitentan, on right ventricular substrate utilization and function…

A case report of pulmonary hypertension in a patient with heterotaxy syndrome — a condition where organs in the chest or abdomen are in the wrong position — highlights the need for physicians to be aware of the serious consequences that increased lung blood pressure can have in this patient group.

Despite increased attention on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), information on treatments for those patients with rare conditions — Eisenmenger syndrome or PAH with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) — is lacking. Two physician-researchers who addressed this are advising these patients be followed in tertiary academic centers to increase their enrollment in clinical…

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is organizing a series of events, called “PHA on the Road: PH Patients and Families Education Forum,” to give the pulmonary hypertension (PH) community a free, day-long platform through which to network with other patients, medical professionals, and PH experts. Two upcoming…

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is urging the U.S. Senate to support the Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Diagnosis Act of 2016 (S. 3361), introduced this week by the Sen. Bob Casey and aiming to speed the development of new treatments and improve the care of people with pulmonary…

The use of nitrite salts for the treatment of cardiovascular conditions, such as pulmonary hypertension, is now patented by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The new patent (US 20060182815 A1) was awarded to Gordon G. Power with Loma Linda University, and a team of investigators from several other universities,…